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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28035372">In which Peter and Sam are actually terrible at keeping secrets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuck_inmyemophase/pseuds/stuck_inmyemophase'>stuck_inmyemophase</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon 2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, M/M, Relationship Reveal, Sam Swears, Secret Relationship, There's a bit of swearing, i'm really bad at AO3 tags, uhhhhhh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:54:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,808</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28035372</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuck_inmyemophase/pseuds/stuck_inmyemophase</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fury made it very clear that he would not tolerate romantic relationships within the team. Which was fine. No one was planning on dating on each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sam Alexander/Peter Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In which Peter and Sam are actually terrible at keeping secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fury had told them rather abruptly and rather bluntly not long after Peter officially joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. It was once, only once, he refused to elaborate (not that anyone asked), and it hadn't been brought up since.</p><p>"You're all teenagers and I know what teenagers are like. There will be no romantic relationships in this team. If I find out about any, you will be kicked off of this team. I don't need the drama, this isn't my first rodeo."</p><p>All was well, they were professionals, they were friends, no one was planning on dating each other.</p><p>No one was <i>planning</i> on dating each other.</p><p>He couldn't tell if Parker luck was on his side or not for this one. On the one hand, wow, a boyfriend. On the other, there was Nick Fury and their whole team looming over their shoulders, and his luck was not often on his side. Peter was just glad he no longer had any cameras <i>inside</i> his house, even if that meant Sam couldn't enter through the front door.</p><p>You'd think Peter Parker would've had enough of secrets, but this one made him giddy.</p><p>"What about Spider Man?"</p><p>"The novelty's kind of worn off now you guys all know," Peter said dismissively.</p><p>"Worn off?" Sam snorted. "Wow I really hope the novelty of <i>me</i> doesn't "wear off"."</p><p>Peter shoved him and laughed. "Shut up!"</p><p>Sam snickered, pushing him back. "Okay seriously," he said, raising a hand in half-hearted surrender, "if we're gonna keep doing," he gestured lamely between them, "this, we gotta be careful."</p><p>Coming up with a plan of action was strangely difficult with the two boys sat alone in Peter's room while Aunt May was out of the house. There wasn't much to figure out, they agreed, just be subtle. Tone it down.</p><p>They still bickered, of course they still bickered! They were Peter and Sam! Spidey and Nova! Bickering was like their love language. Peter couldn't imagine Sam without bickering, it was most of the fun. Calling Sam a 'Bucket Head' was so much better when they both liked the joke, and annoying Sam was a habit hard to break.</p><p>But in-between that, that's what changed. It was small brushes of their knuckles, standing just slightly closer than they used to. Inside jokes, they had a lot more of those. They looked at each other a lot more, too, though they tried not to, it got weird.</p><p>And God, it was infuriating. Peter never took himself for a sappy person but every Goddamn time Sam brushed his fingers against his hand Peter wanted to grab it and never let go. He'd never imagined being frustrated about <i>not</i> holding someone's hand.</p><p>Sam laughed, then the bastard thought it'd be funny to do it more often. Sam liked to see how far he could push it, how close he could get without getting caught. The risk made Peter's heart race, were it not for the mask the deep shade of red that painted Peter's cheeks would have given them away in seconds. Peter near had a heart attack when sat at a desk in the lab. Sam sauntered up behind him, placed a hand on the back of his chair and leaned over him to point at his work.</p><p>"What's that?" he'd asked, snark barely hidden behind his voice. Peter could barely answer.</p><p>---</p><p>Danny found out first. He'd been gracious enough to drop off some of Peter's schoolwork at home. Peter had been given a "detention" and since it was Friday Danny had offered to bring his catch up work home so he'd have time to do it over the weekend, as he'd explained to Aunt May when she let him inside the house.</p><p>"You know where Peter's room is."</p><p>Danny was also the type to knock, and while he did respect Peter's privacy, he couldn't <i>not</i> hear the frantic shuffling and hushed whispers from the other side of the door. There was a thump, a kick, and a quiet "ow!" before Peter finally opened the door.</p><p>"Oh, hey Danny," he said, not so casually leaving against the doorframe. His face was flushed and his clothing ruffled, he had the panicked eyes of someone who wasn't quite sure he'd gotten away with, well, whatever it was he was doing. He cleared his throat and smiled. "What's up?"</p><p>"I brought your work for you."</p><p>"Thanks!" Peter held out a hand to accept it.</p><p>Deciding against handing Peter the stack of papers, Danny instead backed up a few paces. Angling his head, he had a perfect perspective of the the small space underneath Peter's bed. Peter looked confused and nervous as Danny returned to him and placed the papers in his hand. "Don't let Fury find out."</p><p>Danny would swear his didn't hear a muffled "shit" coming from under the bed.</p><p>---</p><p>Luke overhead them talking, apparently Peter's spidey-sense was good for nothing and Luke could be as quiet as a mouse when he wanted. Neither Peter nor Sam noticed him while they were huddled together by Peter's locker. It was open and Peter was routinely pulling out and putting back textbooks, his eyes never once meeting the covers.</p><p>"We can just say we both wanted to watch the movie and no one else did," Sam suggested.</p><p>"I know for a fact Luke wants to watch this movie," Peter said.</p><p>That must have been what caught his attention.</p><p>"Then let's just happen to organise it on a day he can't make it," Sam said roughly.</p><p>"That's rude!"</p><p>"Are you forgetting that the whole point is that we want to go on a date?" Sam snapped. "You know, without being caught?!"</p><p>"Yes, I know!" Peter snapped back. "I'm just saying if we go without inviting Luke it's going to look rude!"</p><p>Luke dropped a hand on each of their shoulders and the two practically leapt into the air. "You know I don't mind, right?"</p><p>Peter clutched his heart and Sam sputtered a mess of syllables which sounded vaguely like an excuse. He also leapt several feet away from Peter, and made a joke about Peter's apparently vomit inducing bad looks. Luke patted Peter pitifully on the shoulder and Peter nodded with defeat.</p><p>---</p><p>They were just as competitive in dating as they were heroing, as demonstrated at the counter in the movie theatre.</p><p>"That'll be $10," the cashier said cheerfully.</p><p>Peter didn't have time to reach for his wallet before he was elbowed out of the way by Sam. "I'll pay."</p><p>"What? No you won't!"</p><p>"Yes I will."</p><p>"I'll pay, I'm the one who asked," Peter shoved Sam backwards.</p><p>"Yeah, and you're also broke as shit," Sam forced his way back to the counter.</p><p>Peter scoffed. "It's $10!"</p><p>"You could split it?" The cashier offered anxiously. The boys had started to wrestle each other in front of her, Peter attempting to pry the money out of Sam's closed fist while he struggled to reach the countertop. They paused at her suggestion, met each others eyes, and relaxed slightly.</p><p>Peter frowned but nodded. "Fine," he said and he let go of Sam's arm. Correction, he made the mistake of letting go of Sam's arm. In triumph, Sam slammed his $10 on counter and cheered at Peter's defeated "No!". The cashier swiped it before another scuffle could ensue, the corners of her strained smile twitched.</p><p>---</p><p>How Ava found out was a mystery to Peter but she announced it very bluntly at the lunch table.</p><p>"I know you two are dating. I know Luke and Danny know you are dating. If you two get caught and this messes up the team, I will kill you both."</p><p>Neither dared to argue with her.</p><p>Not shockingly, the novelty of Sam did not wear off with the rest of the team knowing.</p><p>---</p><p>They got caught. It was remarkably unremarkable how they got caught. Peter had expected it to be intense. Sam would get injured (not him, obviously) and Peter would save him. Sam would say something stupid then Peter would rush in, grab his face, and kiss him with desperate passion. He wouldn't think about Fury or his team, he wouldn't care that they'd be caught, because all he'd want in that moment would be to kiss Sam senseless. All he'd be thinking about was Sam safe in his arms. Maybe it would be raining. Peter might have ran this scenario through his head a couple of times.</p><p>But that kind of dramatic reveal only exists in fiction.</p><p>That didn't mean Fury didn't have a sense for the dramatic. Pulling the team into one isolated room, he left them all waiting for a while. Peter knew this trick, he was letting them stew, getting inside their heads. It was working, Peter had shared more than a few anxious glances with Sam before Fury finally came back. His eye swept over the room, lingering painfully long on Peter and Sam.</p><p>"It has come to my attention that despite my warnings two of you have become involved in a romantic relationship," he stopped in the middle of the room, hands folded behind his back, and glared at them. "Usually I would keep this conversation private between the two offending" (Peter didn't like how he said offending) "parties, however I am aware that all five of you not only know, but have been keeping it secret from me."</p><p>His team was good at hiding emotions but Peter was also good at reading them. There was anxiety in Ava's eyes narrowing and the subtle twitch of Luke's fingers. Danny would have been harder to read if Peter couldn't practically see the cogs working behind his brain. Sam's shoulders tensed and Peter bit the inside of cheek. To the untrained eye no one betrayed a thought, unfortunately for Peter, Fury had the scrutinizing eye of a hawk.</p><p>"I expect this relationship to end. This is your last warning. Do you all understand?"</p><p>No one dared move.</p><p>"Do you all understand?" Fury repeated with increasing frustration.</p><p>A weakly mumbled "yes sir" echoed through the room.</p><p>Fury stopped directly in front of Peter. He leaned down close to him and said in a very low, threatening tone, "You'd do well to remember we have a camera installed outside your front door. Not the best stop for goodbye kisses. Don't let me <i>catch you</i> again."</p><p>Peter thought he might have misheard, but there was a rare echo of comedy on Fury's face when he strode out the room.</p><p>Their silence lasted until even Peter's enhanced hearing couldn't pick up the distinct hit of Fury's footsteps. He let out a breath.</p><p>Ava shrugged. "I guess you two are breaking up now," she said humourously.</p><p>"Oh yeah," Peter usually had a difficult time recognising it but there was no mistaking the sarcasm in Sam's voice, "we totally are."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I used way too many italics but what can I say.<br/>I'm weak for secret relationships, man. It's because I'm gay.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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